#susahao week 2022
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Two Blooming Flowers
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairing: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami)
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 2: Flowers/Pining
Word count: 2k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Upon their return to Japan, Susato finds herself quite lost still. The task of changing Japan’s entire justice system is a daunting one and she perhaps got too used to London allowing her inside the courtrooms and legal faculties, which are now barred from her. There is very little she can do while waiting outside for Naruhodo-san and her father to finish negotiations — which is frustrating when she was the one who wrote all the notes about the British system they are using to bring forth their arguments and she is the one who came up with most of the new policies needed.
So naturally, it is in the arms of a good friend she finds solace.
Haori has started a garden outside the laboratory which she tends to every morning, colourful flowers already blooming as the winter’s chill gives way to spring’s gentle sun. She says it also serves as a testing ground for the fertilisers they are currently developing — apparently Jezail Brett’s case prompted everyone to halt studies about poison for a little while — but Susato suspects her father let her start this project as a way to cope after being accused of murder too.
Which is a far better coping mechanism than hopping in a suitcase to illegally cross oceans, if you ask her.
“In any case, could you not disguise yourself as a man again?” Haori asks as she hands her a pink tulip.
Susato takes the flower carefully, instinctively bringing it to her nose and inhaling the sweet scent. It settles her nerves a bit, or perhaps it is just Haori’s proximity doing that. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?” she teases gently, although a part of her means it. Haori’s flustered attitude when she presented as Ryutaro was flattering but… she sort of wishes her friend would react in such a way when she is just Susato, as well.
Does that even make sense?
“W-Well, you were rather dashing,” Haori admits, eyes going hazy as she reminisces, surely, before she shakes her head and slaps her cheeks to come back to her senses. “But you are clearly upset about this whole ordeal and if there are no other options until things change…”
“But it might take years,” Susato sighs. Who would have thought reforming an entire country’s justice system would be so troublesome? Everyone, probably. She spares a thought to Kazuma-sama and Lord van Zieks across the ocean as they must be dealing with similar issues on British soil.
“Then, the question would be, are you willing to wait, or take action right away?”
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
A day later, Ryutaro Naruhodo is back. Susato is fiddling with her hat, making sure her long hair would not fall out before she grabs the student badge from her bedside table, Kazuma-sama’s student number staring back at her on the back of it. It feels wrong, somehow, to steal Naruhodo-san’s name and Kazuma-sama’s belonging to fool Japan, when justice should be about unravelling the truth yet here she is… deceiving. Do the ends justify the means?
In this case, it must, she decides, pinning the badge to her collar, making sure to lower it enough so it doesn’t poke her chin. Truly an impractical design.
Haori is waiting for her in front of the house, with an umbrella under the gentle rain, and a purple hydrangea in her hand. When she sees her, her friend makes a beeline for her, tilting the umbrella forward to protect both of them.
“Good morning, you look quite gallant as usual,” Haori compliments, blushing slightly.
Susato cannot help a pleased smile but also a tinge of disappointment from tainting her heart. Oh, how she wished she could hear those words regularly.
“Good morning, Haori. I hope I did not make you wait too long.”
“No, do not worry. I was admiring the neighbourhood, I have not really had a reason to come here while you and Kazuma-kun were away.”
Susato nods. “Here. I should hold it for both of us, as a gentleman does,” she says as she takes the umbrella from her friend’s hand and if she lets her touch linger a bit longer than necessary around Haori’s fingers, no one has to know.
As expected, Haori swoons, letting out a wistful sigh. “May I say, you look even more handsome than last time?”
“Ah, well, thank you,” Susato says somehow without stuttering. She can feel her whole face heat up, however. “Um, what of the flower?”
“Oh! It’s for you too!” Without more prompting, Haori goes on her tiptoes so she can pin the flower by Susato’s ear, trapping it below her hat so it cannot fall. Susato almost lets go of the umbrella at the sudden proximity, catching a whiff of the sweet floral scent always surrounding the other girl. “A hydrangea can mean good luck, so I figured it was appropriate. And well, purple suits you, it brings out your eyes.”
Susato blinks, then stares, then probably turns even redder than before. Haori just smiles at her, although there is clear confusion in her eyes, surely wondering if she said something wrong.
“We, ah, we should hurry,” Susato says eventually after clearing her throat.
“Of course, would not want to make you late on your first day at the big boy table!” Haori agrees and then takes a hold of Susato’s arm. Susato tenses at the sudden warmth plastered against her. “Um, is this alright?” her friend asks, obviously sensing the tension in her muscles — she’s a medical student, of course she did.
“Yes, yes of course,” Susato reassures. “It also helps sell this deceit too, I suppose, to have a pretty girl at my arm…?”
Haori giggles, hugging her arm closer. “Oh, Susato, you do know how to talk to a lady,” she teases but she is blushing when she just called her by her given name rather than her pretend one. Susato is getting so many mixed messages.
So she doesn’t reply, only huffs with what she hopes to be an amused smile and not a tense one, before finally walking towards the courthouse, Haori by her side leaning against her.
Surely to make sure the rain does not reach her, not because of anything else… right?
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Naruhodo-san is waiting by the stairs, fiddling with the headband around Karuma which has only started to become a habit recently when he gets impatient. She shouts his name to get his attention and he nearly falls forward as a result, tripping on air, she supposes.
“Su— Ryutaro, hello,” Naruhodo-san corrects himself, in case anyone else is in hearing distance. He blinks at her as they approach. “You… look different.”
Immediately, Haori slaps him on the arm. “Do not be rude, Naruhodo-san!”
“And hitting me unprompted isn’t?!” Naruhodo-san exclaims. “I did not even mean it negatively!”
“With the face you made, you could have fooled me,” Susato laughs. “What is it? Not convincing enough as your cousin?”
“I’m still wrapping my head around how that even happened does the university just not check the validity of identity papers…” he admits. Susato concedes to his point, her father is influential but was he enough to convince higher-ups to forge papers for their subterfuge? “But no, on the contrary, it’s… a lot convincing, I almost did not recognise you, if it was not for Haori hanging off your arm like that. Might have to work on your voice, however.”
Susato clears her throat. “I will try,” she says, in an attempt to make her voice sound deeper. Last time, Judge Jigoku knew of her and her father’s deceit — and she supposes everyone else in the room was not paying much attention considering Prosecutor Auchi also has a high-pitched voice —, but this time around, she will have no one to cover for her except for Naruhodo-san… and the man, bless his heart, as clever and eager as he is about everything, is quite terrible at lying.
“Now that I see you next to each other, you do look quite alike,” Haori comments, squinting her eyes at Naruhodo-san with a straight face before settling them back on Susato, and the blush is back on her cheeks. Interesting, Susato notes. If they do look alike but Haori never expressed interest in Naruhodo-san…
Ah, but Susato remembers Haori stumbling with her words the first time she met Kazuma-sama though and Naruhodo-san is hardly the gallant type, is he? Compared to her brother.
Oh, wishful thinking.
Naruhodo-san gives her a side glance. “Well, cousin, I believe we should head inside before Prosecutor Auchi gets impatient again.”
“Good luck you two!” Haori cheers. “I will see you at lunch!” She blows them a kiss then saunters away, a bounce to her steps.
Susato watches her leave with a fond smile and of course, Naruhodo-san had to say something and ruin her contemplation.
“And you said I was hopeless with Kazuma.”
Susato glares at him. “And you are,” she huffs, pointing towards Karuma faithfully by the man’s side, its red band still wrapped around one of his fingers. Naruhodo-san sheepishly shrugs. “Let us go.”
“Nice flower, by the way, Haori’s gift?”
“Let us go.”
Naruhodo-san laughs as she pushes him in.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
“So?” Haori asks her the next day, handing her a single red rose as they idly walk through her garden. Once again, Susato takes it without much thinking, pleased to observe that of course her friend had efficiently gotten rid of the thorns beforehand. “How was that first day as Ryutaro Naruhodo?”
“I was listened to and Naruhodo-san let me do most of the talking,” Susato sighs. She is still in her Ryutaro disguise at the moment, a meeting awaiting her in a few hours and she did not want to bother with changing her appearance in the meantime. “It felt both… exhilarating and terrible.”
“Terrible, truly?” Haori repeats, her happy mood souring upon her friend’s less enthusiastic response. “How so?”
“The experience was not as enjoyable knowing they would not even dare listen to me if they knew I was a girl,” Susato explains. “Although I did not exactly hate posing as a boy either or being addressed as one, I suppose. Is that odd?”
Haori shakes her head immediately. “I do not think so. You seem so comfortable and confident, as either Susato or Ryutaro, it’s kind of… magnetic.” She chuckles, cheeks turning a slight red. “Besides, you do not really change your personality right?”
“No,” Susato confirms. She keeps her eyes firmly on the red rose in her hand. “But do… do you have a preference?”
A pause. “Obviously not, I’ll love whoever you feel more comfortable as.” Haori’s voice is suddenly quieter, more pensive. “Susato or Ryutaro, you’re someone special to me.”
Susato takes a deep breath. “You’re too kind, Haori.”
“No, just being honest.” Susato startles when Haori gently hands her a small bouquet of pink and white daisies. “Your name will live on in this country, I just know it, and someday, people will see you and admire you the way I do, and the way you deserve.”
Susato feels her heart soar and her eyes water, the sudden need to fall to her knees at such a sweet and simple declaration taking her. She cannot handle it much longer, she realises, looking at Haori’s sincere smile and bright eyes, framed by her long silky ebony hair swaying under the gentle breeze of a summer morning, it is now or never.
Carefully, she takes the daisies, enveloping her single red rose in them, but before Haori could walk away, Susato takes her hand in her free one, oh so gently. Surprised and flustered grey eyes meet determined yet scared brown ones.
“I am not too interested in notoriety, I just want to help this country be better… but I just realised what else being Ryutaro can bring me,” Susato starts.
“… Oh?” Haori prompts.
“I would be honoured if you allowed me to court you, Haori Murasame, as Ryutaro in public, but also as Susato in private.”
Silence follows her request, but the hand around hers tightens its grip, warm and reassuring. And then, Haori offers one of her brightest smiles yet — oh how the sun would envy such beauty.
“Oh, Susato, did you not notice? I was already courting you,” Haori chuckles and Susato frowns.
“What?”
“The flowers and the homemade lunches… Surely you must know I have never done this for anyone before.”
Susato’s vision turns a little hazy as she recalls the past few weeks then blushes. “Oh… Oh! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“Well… I was not sure you returned the feelings and I simply liked doing this for you after missing you for so many months…” Haori admits softly. “But to answer your question… yes, Susato Mikotoba, I would love to be courted by you.”
As she declares so, Haori grabs both of her hands to bring them close to her heart, so she can feel it pulse against her palms. Susato gulps, the beating of her own heart so loud in her ears.
“I will do my best,” Susato promises, her turn to bring Haori’s hands to her lips so she can kiss her knuckles. “And shall prove myself worthy of holding your heart in my hands.”
Haori blushes deeply, visibly fighting the urge to hide behind her sleeves since Susato is firmly holding her hands and not quite allowing herself to let go just yet. “Oh dear, you will be the end of me.”
Susato only smiles because she pretty much has the same thought. Her love is so sweet and cute, how did she ever get so lucky?
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao#susahao week 2022#susahao fic#susarei#dgs fic#dai gyakuten saiban#the great ace attorney#tgaa fic#tgaa spoilers#dgs spoilers#my fics
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susahao week 2022 - flowers/pining
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Changing Tides
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami). Side Kazuma Asogi/Ryunosuke Naruhodo
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 4: Future/Growth
Word count: 2k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Susato was ecstatic when they received the letter — Kazuma was coming back to visit and considering the time it takes for a letter to arrive from Great Britain, it was only a matter of days before he would touch soil on Japanese ground.
Haori takes things in stride on her part. Of course, working every day with Professor Mikotoba and seeing Susato just as often ever since her return, she finds herself equally excited — she has not seen Kazuma in two and a half years now. Her friendship with him is not the deepest, he is the brother of her best friend who she didn’t really have a reason to get to know better, but she still missed him, mostly because everyone else around her did and she has always been more of a follower than a leader.
She does not join them when they leave to wait for Kazuma at the dock — that is a family matter after all — but she does get invited for dinner, and she is not sure why.
Especially when Professor Mikotoba tells her Kazuma insisted that he wanted her there.
So here she is now, bringing her empty plate to the kitchen sink as she listens to the joyful and happy chatter filling the Mikotoba household like she has not seen in a long while. Ryunosuke Naruhodo is here too, unsurprisingly, and Haori hasn’t seen him leave Kazuma’s side all afternoon, she thinks.
“It feels like old times again, isn’t it?” Susato muses softly next to her. “Oh, how I have missed this!”
Haori smiles at her enthusiasm. It is true it is a sight that was much more familiar so long ago now, back before everything got complicated and everyone got separated by oceans… or a meddling detective, from what she understood.
“Has he mentioned how long he is staying?” she asks.
Susato frowns as if she just made a ludicrous comment. “I assumed he would be staying permanently. It has been a year, after all, he has no other reason to stay over there, does he?”
Haori bites her lower lip. She has not told her friend, but Kazuma had written to her too, this past year. She was quite surprised every time Professor Mikotoba handed her a new letter every other month with her name on the yellowing paper. Reading the letters, she could not shake the feeling that the man had found his place, in London, and was far happier there than he ever was in Japan. She wrote her thoughts back to him, once, and he had simply replied “Are you certain you study to become a doctor? That was quite an acute deduction.”
Except Susato usually is far more observant and level-headed than she could ever hope to be so she is surprised her friend has not picked up on her brother’s happiness through his written words, or perhaps she is momentarily blindsided by the joy of having her brother back after so long, or perhaps even she is purposely ignoring the possibility altogether before rationality catches up to her.
Haori is aware Susato tends to pretend everything is fine even when she struggles internally.
“Anyhow, I think he mentioned he wanted to talk to you as well, once Naruhodo-san lets him go for a minute,” Susato says.
“Oh?”
Susato nods. “I did not know… you wrote to each other?”
Haori blushes. “Ah, I did not think it necessary to mention. He only asked me how you and Naruhodo-san were faring, surely knowing you two would lie to not make him worry.”
“That would make sense. I should have done the same and written to Mr Sholmes! No, Iris rather.” Even so, Susato still looks upset. “Has he talked to you about settling down with someone, or something of the sort?”
“Um, no, I do not think so?” Haori replies. “Why?”
“It is that look in his eyes. He had the same one after declaring he would become a lawyer like his father. It is like he has found a new purpose in life. Surely the next logical step would be to find someone to settle down with?”
“Has he ever been interested in romance, though?” Haori wonders. In the years she has known the two siblings, neither of them seemed particularly into the pleasantries of romance like her.
“… It has been too long, perhaps he is now.”
There is an underlining of sadness in this admission and Haori instinctively reaches forward to hold Susato’s hand in reassurance.
“He holds you dear to his heart, I am sure he would tell you first if he were planning on courting someone. He would want your approval, after all.”
Susato smiles, squeezing her hand once. “You are probably right.”
Little did she know, her deductions were completely false anyway.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Kazuma asks to speak with her a little later and Haori tries not to let Susato’s suspicions get to her head as she is led towards the garden.
She fails, because as soon as they are alone, she blurts out, “I am not interested in anyone courting me, in fact, I already like someone!”
The man before her frowns in confusion and slight amusement. “Good for you?”
Haori blushes furiously, hiding behind her sleeves. “Oh dear, you were not…?”
Kazuma laughs, but it is not mocking, in fact, it sounds nervous, as if the thought itself is uncomfortable to him. “I have no idea where you, Susato or Professor Mikotoba all got the idea I intended to court someone…” he chuckles weakly. “Although I wish I could bring them news as happy as that.”
She sobers up then, understanding the seriousness of the conversation if Kazuma’s stiff posture is anything to go by. He sighs, crossing his arms as he looks around the garden for a few silent seconds. Haori doesn’t try to push him to talk, crossing her hands behind her back as she waits and lets the gentle breeze of the autumn night caress her skin.
“I… am settling in Great Britain. I have not told the Mikotoba’s yet,” Kazuma confesses eventually.
It is probably supposed to be some life-altering news but Haori is hardly surprised after all the letters and the time it took for the man to visit. Perhaps that is why he is telling her, for practice, it is, after all, easier to tell a distant acquaintance than your direct family, even so, she asks, “Why tell me first?”
Kazuma gives her a look, one of those infuriatingly piercing and intimidating one of his as if she just said something stupid, but Haori does not falter, to her own surprise.
“Because I have a request to ask of you. I most likely know how Susato will react. She always wants to help others and take care of them, I am aware that is why she chose the path of a judicial assistant, to be by my side and later Ryunosuke’s. I know she is capable, more than I can ever hope to be, truly, she is a force to be reckoned with but… I do wish she would let others take care of her as well. I cannot do that while oceans away, so that is where you fit into the picture.”
“You… you want me to take care of her?” she asks softly, feeling her cheeks burn again.
Kazuma nods.
“But Naruhodo-san…?”
Kazuma laughs. “Between him and Susato, who is the responsible one, do you think?”
She makes a face. “Alright, you have a point.”
“See? Although I will need to find a way to tell him too…”
Haori picks up some longing in his voice and her heart aches just a little for Ryunosuke. She does not know the man that well either, having only met him once he and Susato came back from Britain, but she could pick up the man’s feelings for his partner oversea easily. The look in his eyes whenever he talks about Kazuma, she recognised it easily as she is all too familiar with that feeling as well and would often encounter it in her own mirror when Susato was on the other side of the world and she would ramble on and on about how she missed her in the intimacy of her bathroom.
“He would follow you in a heartbeat again,” she ends up saying.
Something glints in Kazuma’s eyes at her words. Hope, perhaps, before it dims and he shakes his head. Oh you poor soul, Haori thinks faintly. “And I do not want him to, I have caused him enough grief. Japan needs him, just as I have found my place in Great Britain, although I am saddened I will not be able to see in person what an even greater defence attorney he’ll become.”
Her heart aches once again. It is sound logic, yet the sentimental romantic in her is disappointed that Kazuma is giving up on their “what could have been” so easily.
Although she is aware he must have pondered over this decision for months so it must not have been that easy, even if she cannot comprehend it.
“So do I have your words, then?” Kazuma prompts. “About Susato.”
“Oh!” Right, she did not actually reply to his request, did she? “Of course, I will look after her. I owe her my life and more than that, she is dear to my heart, I would have done so even if you had not asked.”
Kazuma smiles warmly. “I know, but I suppose I wanted the reassurance nonetheless. Thank you, Haori.”
He bows with a grateful smile, and Haori reciprocates, however when he starts walking away, Haori impulsively stops him by grabbing his arm.
“Wait, Kazuma.” He waits, lifting an eyebrow. “Do you love Naruhodo-san?” Kazuma’s face remains impassive as if he expected her to spell it out in the open.
“You truly have a very perceptive mind, Haori,” he replies, which might as well mean yes. “I had thought a year would have been enough for the feelings to fade but I underestimated them.”
“You should tell him,” she encourages then, having no idea why she is so invested, “even if you settle in Great Britain, you should not leave with any regret behind.”
Kazuma’s demeanour softens. Gently, he pries Haori’s hand away before he chuckles and rests a hand on her head. Haori blinks — she has seen him do that to Susato before, especially when Susato was rambling, the action would always halt her thoughts and bring her to silence.
And it seems it’s working on Haori too because her mind blanks.
“Thank you again, Haori,” Kazuma declares, “however may I redirect your advice back to you? If I were to confess, perhaps you should tell her too?”
“I…”
He ruffles her hair and she yelps, scrambling to get away. Kazuma laughs once again. “Ever since you and Susato became friends, you’ve always brought out the best in her. When she decided to defend you and risk everything… when I heard about it, I could not be prouder. It is not my place to say if she harbours similar feelings for you, but know you are already part of this family. Entering a romantic relationship with her would just be a formality.”
A smile blooms on her lips although some sadness still remains in her heart. It seems she has acquired an older brother right here, and yet he will soon hop on a boat and leave again, what a pity.
“Thank you, Kazuma.”
And with that, they part.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
As soon as she walks back into the living room, Susato grabs her arm and drags her to her room instead. Haori only has time to blink before the door slides shut behind her and her friend is looking at her with an intense fire in her eyes.
“Haori.”
“Susato.”
Silence.
Susato clears her throat, in an awkward way Haori had never seen on her face before. “So… did he…?”
“Did he what?”
“… Ask if he could court you?”
The world comes to a halt and Haori almost forgets to breathe. She can feel her whole face turn red and she haphazardly tries to hide it behind her hands. “What?! What gave you such an idea?!” Never mind that she also assumed that earlier and in front of the man himself, so…
Susato flushes as well. “Well, I don’t know, he walked in looking really proud and then I find you all smiling and flustered! You used to be infatuated with him as well, one might assume!”
That was one time and she mistook Kazuma for Susato because the man had forgotten to cut his hair… “I have never— Oh, bother.”
Her friend looks dumbfounded, clearly bothered that her deductions were wrong. Was she hoping…? “So what did he talk to you about?”
“Ah… that I cannot tell,” Haori says with an apologetic smile. “He simply needed some advice and reassurance. Nothing to worry about, however!” she quickly adds when she sees Susato’s face fall.
“I apologise… I suppose I have jumped to conclusions. What would be better than my best friend and brother together? So I can be sure neither of you will find someone else and leave… oh how horrible I sound.”
Haori smiles, this time more fondly, as she walks up to Susato and gathers her in her arms. Susato stiffens for a split second before melting into the embrace.
“It is alright to be scared of what the future has for us, especially with how much our lives have changed just these past two years,” she whispers, feeling Susato’s hands grip the back of her kimono. “But I can assure you that nothing can ever pull me away from you, Susato Mikotoba.” I adore and admire you too much to ever let go.
Susato chuckles, her breath hitting Haori’s neck, making the latter shudder. “A part of me is relieved, I have to admit,” the other girl replies softly. “You definitely deserve better than my silly brother as your partner in life.”
Haori laughs, in what she hopes appears to be genuine joy rather than nervousness. “I already have you as my partner in life, do I not?” she says, cursing the fact she cannot see Susato’s face.
“Of course you have,” Susato says, well oblivious to Haori’s deeper meaning behind her words. “I am glad to have you.”
Haori holds back a wistful sigh. “And so do I.”
She knows she promised Kazuma she would take a leap of faith and confess, but she never said when. Now truly is not the right moment anyhow.
But someday. In the meantime, she will continue looking over Susato the way she deserves to be.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao#susahao fic#susahao week 2022#susarei#asoryuu#asoryuu fic#dai gyakuten saiban#the great ace attorney#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#my fics
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Holding On To Heartache
AO3 Link.
Rating: T
Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami). Side Kazuma Asogi/Ryunosuke Naruhodo
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 7: Free Day (Roleswap AU)
Word count: 7k
Part of my DGS asoryuu 🔄 susahao Roleswap AU.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Susato grew up loved, that was never the issue. When her grandmother died shortly after learning of her father’s death overseas, Genshin Asogi and his son appeared at her door like angels here to chase away all her woes. Kazuma taught her the ways of a sword, despite it being unbecoming of her as a girl, and she quickly found herself referring to Genshin as her father because she never got to meet the one she should have called such a title.
And she was fine with the idea, of never knowing who Yujin Mikotoba was, just like she has never known who Ayame Mikotoba was either outside of beautiful portraits. She can not miss someone she had never met, can she? All she had of him was a brooch in the form of a cherry blossom flower she now wears across her heart as a reminder of the family name she had to leave behind as well as an encyclopaedia, and it is all she needs — the man is, but a ghost of a past long gone who lives on through the stories her new father now tells her and if living with the Asogis taught her anything, it is that one must always keep heading forward.
As it stands, fate had another idea.
On the day she turns thirteen, she receives a peculiar letter with a British seal over it and a death wish on ink upon the yellow papers, cursing the Mikotoba name for events that happened seven years prior, the date corresponding to the time of her biological father’s death and her current father and Judge Jigoku’s return from Great Britain. Growing up in a family of lawyers, Susato is no stranger to gruesome tales of twisted truths and betrayals and yet, as she reads about this Professor who brought terror to the streets of London years ago, she simply could not conciliate this image with the one her father painted of Yujin Mikotoba.
And perhaps a part of her was afraid of believing it. That she may share blood with such a monster, her hand coming up to the brooch on her heart with trembling fingers.
So she goes to the one person she knows will always bring comfort to her.
“That is nonsense,” Kazuma says with a frown, barely holding himself from tearing the letter apart, she can tell, there is already a small tear right in the middle of the paper. “I knew Yujin Mikotoba when I was younger too, he was a doctor, Susato, he valued life more than anything, why would he take someone’s, never mind several’s?”
“What you say makes sense,” Susato concedes, “but then why would someone send this if there is not some truth to it? They went through the trouble of finding who I am and our address… it seems like a lot of trouble even for a cruel jest.”
Kazuma’s expression darkens but he still forces out a reassuring smile as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and squeezes her until she cannot help but let out a small giggle at the gesture.
“We should tell father,” her brother says, “he will have more answers than I, I am sure.”
So Susato nods, following his lead.
Their father wears a similar sombre expression as he reads over the letter but instead of anger and disbelief taking over once he’s finished it, he looks calm and resolute.
And it scares Susato.
“Is it true, then? My father was—”
“Your father,” Genshin cuts her off firmly, but gently, “was a victim of British power.” He sighs, a long-winded exhale that seems to take years off his life. “I had wished to wait until you were much older to tell you about this but this cannot be helped. You should know as well, Kazuma, the whole truth of my stay in London.”
He excuses himself for a short moment to retrieve something in his room and when he comes back, he hands a notebook to Susato who carefully takes it, as if presented by a relic of ancient times — and in some way, it is.
“Before I start, you should read this.”
She opens the notebook to be met with her biological father’s handwriting, in English, detailing his journey in London and the people he met there. Several times, the name Herlock Sholmes appears, which makes her frown because she is pretty sure she has read short stories about this man but they could not be the same, right? What would her father have to do with the famous detective? There is no mention of a Japanese man as the detective’s partner, simply a fellow Britishman, although one with a doctorate. Dr Wilson.
Wait, is that not the name of the new professor at Kazuma’s university? Perhaps he knew my father.
Genshin and Judge Jigoku’s names appear as well, although never part of any investigations he seems to have taken, they only appear when her father writes about missing home, Japan. Her name even appears every once in a while, and the sight makes her heart ache with longing.
He thought of me, he wanted to meet me, he never wanted to leave me behind.
“I thought he was a doctor?” she asks eventually. Kazuma hums above her, having read over her shoulder.
“He was, and a private detective’s partner, medical knowledge was useful in investigations, after all. On my end, I was also taking parts in investigations in a more… legal way, I will say, as I was working with Scotland Yard and the Prosecutor Office.”
“Despite being a defence attorney?” Kazuma this time asks in confusion.
Their father nods. “I was there to learn, after all. And I had a good friend who vouched for me. Unfortunately, he was the last victim of this Professor.”
“Klint van Zieks was it?” Susato recalls. Before this, Genshin was never privy of stories about his time in London, of course only the happy memories and the fact he had stricken an unlikely friendship with the Crown Prosecutor Klint van Zieks and his younger brother, Barok, who followed them like a lost puppy everywhere. She remembers Kazuma huffing a lot when their father first talked about this Barok, jealousy slipping through. Kazuma had declared Barok van Zieks to be his sworn enemy right there and then, even if he does not even know what he looks like.
From what she recalls, they still exchange letters to this day...
Genshin nods. “Although… I suppose the Professor case had him quite worked up as well, he acted strange in the days before his passing.”
“So, you investigated the Professor case, is that why you do not believe Yujin Mikotoba was the culprit?” Kazuma asks. “You would not let friendships get in the way of a proper verdict.”
“Of course not,” Genshin confirms, looking even a little offended at the mere possibility. “Yujin had an alibi for every death and no motive or relation to any of the victims.”
Susato breathes in. “Then why…?”
“I wish I knew, Susato,” Genshin sighs, a pained smile on his lips. “When the trial came, despite my defence, he pleaded guilty immediately. It was not helped by a conclusive piece of evidence the prosecution had, or so he claimed it to be, I thought it came quite out of nowhere and doubted its authenticity.”
“What do you mean?”
Genshin frowns, clearly debating going into further details but Susato keeps staring at him with big plaintiff eyes, her knuckles turning white around her late father’s notebook.
“Father, what do you mean?” Kazuma repeats, sounding firmer and even more challenging. He is still standing close to Susato, a warm and supportive hand on her shoulder.
Immediately, their father’s resolve breaks. “Practicing autopsies was still rather new, and even more so forbidden on people from the nobility like Klint. However, the inspector was… abnormally insistent and his request was granted. Yujin was the doctor’s assistant. They found something of his and he was arrested immediately. Since he assisted the other autopsies, the prosecution argued that was when he would temper with the bodies and hide his involvement.”
“It makes sense in theory, but then why would he not have tempered in that last autopsy, seems awfully convenient. And I am aware appearances can be deceiving but he was one of the kindest men I have ever met, from, well, what I can remember,” Kazuma says.
Susato hums, her heart beating faster. The brooch on her chest feels heavier now. “Father, do you happen to remember who that doctor was?”
“Well, as coincidences may be, he was invited recently to come to teach at Yumei University, I believe Kazuma has met him.”
“Doctor Wilson?” her brother deduces, earning a nod from their father. Susato frowns at the name again. Everything cannot just be a coincidence, can it? What is the truth?
“But Susato,” Genshin interjects her thoughts, snapping her attention to him in surprise, “do not make hasty decisions.”
“I—!” She flushes at being so easily caught.
“I wish to find out what really happened as well but it is too dangerous at the moment. That incident almost caused our alliance with Great Britain to fall apart and it is now only starting to be mended. Everything I have told you has been kept as a governmental secret both there and here in Japan, no one knows Yujin was the Professor outside of the people who were at the trial. Words cannot get out you know about it. You deserved to know and learn from someone who was there, but for now, this will have to stay between us.”
Genshin Asogi has always been an imposing man with incredible charisma and authority. Susato has always admired that, about her father. But at this very moment, she sort of hates how insignificant and young he makes her feel. She never knew how to really stand up to him even if she never really needed to before. Her brother was always the more outspoken one anyway.
She lowers her head. “I understand, father.”
“We’ll just have to find a way to Great Britain and find the truth there then,” Kazuma huffs suddenly. He, on the other hand, has never had trouble challenging his own father, no matter how much he admires him.
“Kazuma, what did I just say? That would be like walking into a lion’s den, son.”
“Not if it’s for a study tour like you did, no one would be the wiser. The program has started again, hasn’t it? Third-year students are given a chance of being selected for this trip and we are allowed to bring in an assistant.”
Susato perks up.
“Kazuma…” Genshin sighs.
“Father, please,” Susato says solemnly. “I want to know what really happened. Why I never got to meet him. I thought I had closure and did not mind his absence but now… knowing so little about the real circumstances… thinking about what could have been… I know I will not be able to rest until everything is clear.”
A beat.
Another long sigh and yet a proud smile adorning the man’s lips. “I suppose I did raise you to be this determined. Women are still forbidden from entering the courthouse here however so becoming an assistant will be quite the challenge, even if I use my influence, I cannot rewrite the law.”
“I am ready to face any challenge,” Susato declares.
Her father laughs and gathers her into a hug. “I know you are.”
And despite the inner turmoil following all those revelations, Susato is glad to observe that the embrace still feels warm and loving, soothing her worries and fears, especially when Kazuma joins in soon after.
She will find the truth about Yujin Mikotoba… but not to the cost of her family, she promises to herself.
She will soon learn that she is not that good, at keeping promises.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
It is two years later when she is finally allowed to walk into Yumei University as a qualified judicial assistant that she can start her investigation despite her father’s warnings, starting with the science department where she knows one Dr Wilson is often seen.
A quiet anger had started to grow within her ever since she learned the first bits of truth about her late father. So, when she wasn’t studying to become a judicial assistant — she was lucky enough to have two of the best lawyers in the country as her family, making the task simpler than it would have been otherwise — she started studying Yujin Mikotoba’s notes, cross-referencing them with the Herlock Sholmes short stories she could find published in Japan.
The stories are exact copies of her late father’s notes if not more romanticised for the sake of story-telling and it made her so angry. This Dr Wilson was using her father’s experiences for fame and money after helping to convict him of crimes he did not commit, there were no strong enough words in the vocabulary to describe how outrageous such an act is.
However, instead of the British doctor, she finds a girl her age on her way towards the Doctor’s office. Well, “find” is perhaps inaccurate — they bump into each other when the girl runs out of the room in a rush, papers flying everywhere in their wake. Fortunately, Susato is quick enough on her feet to grab the other girl’s arms so she does not fall, their respective weight neutralising the other and keeping them upright. The hallway is still a mess though and none of the students passing by seem inclined on helping, sending them a dirty look instead.
“I am so sorry!” the girl apologises immediately, pulling away as she starts hastily gathering all the papers. “Oh, I spent hours organising everything…” she mutters.
Susato feels guilty now and leans down to help her but yelps when she gets her hands slapped away with surprising force. “Hey!”
“Sorry!” the girl apologises again. And then she mumbles, loud enough for Susato to still hear, though: “But he would kill me if I let anyone else look into his research. He is kind and harmless most of the time but ah is he particularly ticked when it comes to his research…”
“Are you talking about Dr Wilson? I was looking for him actually…”
That gets the girl’s attention back to her, eyes sharp. “Are you one of his students? I have never seen you in any of his classes.”
Susato frowns. “Are you? I mean no offence but we seem to be the same age… as in, too young to attend university.”
“You would be right,” the girl sighs, all the papers finally in her hands as she looks down dejectedly at them. But then she shakes her head, her grey eyes meeting Susato’s brown ones. “I forgot to introduce myself, did I not?” She bows then. “Haori Murasame, Dr Wilson’s assistant.”
“Susato Asogi,” Susato introduces herself as well.
Haori’s eyes light up with recognition like that clan name always does around this place. “Oh! Asogi-san— your brother, I suppose? The golden boy of the university.” Susato barely holds back a snort at the title. If only people knew how silly her brother really is. “Your father is teaching here as well, isn’t he?”
Susato nods, pride filling her heart. “Yes! I am Kazuma’s assistant too, and he had requested some papers from Dr Wilson and I offered to retrieve them myself since I was planning on visiting this part of the university anyhow.”
“Oh, he did not give me anything to lend to anyone,” Haori says with a frown and Susato hopes she cannot see her tense smile. “Do you perhaps remember what those papers were about? Dr Wilson is a really busy man so I usually handle his paperwork.”
“Ah, it’s alright, I will come by again later then,” Susato dismisses. “You were quite in a hurry, shouldn’t you…?”
Haori’s eyes widen in panic and Susato has the odd thought that the other girl looks absolutely adorable in this flustered state.
“Oh, I’m going to be late!” Haori exclaims and already starts walking away although she briefly turns around to yell, “Once again, I am the one who handles Dr Wilson’s papers so you know where to find me! See you around, Susato Asogi!”
She waves excitedly as she turns around to run again and Susato finds herself waving back, albeit late.
“See you around, Haori Murasame…” she whispers, frowning at the way her heart feels heavy, all of a sudden.
She brushes it off and sighs, looking back at the wooden plaque on the door with Dr Wilson’s name on it. She will find another time.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
She does not, in fact, find another time. In her defence, Haori is distracting and insanely intriguing. She is barely sixteen like her, and yet she managed to find a place in the university as the assistant of one of the best professors in this university, and all that through sheer work and perseverance because unlike Susato who benefitted from Genshin Asogi’s influence and name, Haori had no connection whatsoever.
Suddenly she understands why one day Kazuma started wearing a red headband every day after meeting his friend Ryunosuke Naruhodo. It seems it is one trait they share as a family, when they fall, they fall hard and fast.
“There’s this exchange student,” Haori complains to her that day, “she’s so pretentious and so rude! Keeps dismissing me and other Japanese students, only speaking to the other British students or Doctor Wilson, she refuses to speak anything but English as well even though I know she understands us. I do not get why she even chose our university if she hates us so much!”
“That is peculiar behaviour,” Susato agrees. “The law department has very few international students, so I suppose I never encountered such a person before.”
“And I do not wish you to.”
Susato chuckles. “Well, I am hoping Kazuma gets chosen for the study tour in Great Britain though, so I will have to live among them.”
Haori makes a face that makes Susato want to squish her cheeks together, for some reason. Fortunately, she manages to repress the urge.
“I cannot say I understand wanting that, but I can say I hope you two get chosen too.”
Susato smiles. “One day, I will tell you why it is so important to me.”
“You are not required to,” Haori tells her gently. “I will miss you, though. I know we have only met a few months ago but…”
She does not finish her sentence but she does not need to because Susato understands. Being the only two people of the same age in this university will tend to create a special kind of kinship, really, although Susato isn’t quite ready to admit other feelings brewing inside her. She has no time for distraction… well, further distraction that is. The clock is ticking, after all, months have passed and soon they will learn who got chosen for the exchange programme.
“What if you could come with us?” she says before she could stop it which prompts a genuine laugh from the other girl.
“Susato, that would be illegal.” There is great irony in the fact Haori is the one pointing that out.
Susato bumps their shoulders together. “Eh, it would be fun though, would it not? Tearing the streets of London together?”
“We would be unstoppable!” Haori exclaims, agreeing. “Perhaps that is why the world won’t let us.”
Susato ponders that. “Yes, I suppose so.”
It is so unfair, she thinks. Although she still had to meet this Dr Wilson — not without fault of trying, the man is always so busy and Susato cannot attend any of his classes even if Kazuma or Ryunosuke is in one of them —, she could tell Haori is just as brilliant as him if she could understand all his notes and add to them. By all means, Haori seems above the title of assistant despite her young age, she should be out here revolutionising medicine and the Japanese scientific scene and yet she is stuck under a white man’s tutelage who teaches her nothing new because her status does not allow her to reach grander prospects.
And Susato wishes she could give her that, the role she deserves.
“I heard women are freer in Great Britain, though,” Haori says, “if Miss Brett is anything to go by.”
“See? Then you should definitely come,” Susato jests once again, earning a playful shove before they both stiffen when someone clears their throat behind them and the shadow of someone looming over them suddenly covers them.
“Miss Asogi, I apologise for interrupting,” a gruff but recognisable voice speaks and Susato whirls around to be faced with Judge Jigoku who smiles kindly at her. It does nothing to settle her nerves, however, the man is tall and intimidating. And he is also thoroughly ignoring Haori’s presence, which seems rather rude. “But I heard you talk about Great Britain and I was hoping to have a word with you about you and your brother’s availability.”
“Oh, of course, Judge Jigoku.” A pause. “… Right this moment?” Without my brother?
The judge nods. “If you do not mind.”
She looks at Haori then who chuckles nervously, cheeks going pink as she already starts walking away. “I-I will see you later, Susato. Judge Jigoku, a pleasure to see you.” She quickly bows before promptly running away.
“Do I really scare people this much outside of the courtroom? Oh dear, I need to change that,” Judge Jigoku laughs loudly, the sound echoing through the busy hallway, prompting a few students to hurry their pace as if it constituted an alarm of some sort.
Susato chuckles weakly. “It… it may be your judge attire even outside of the courtroom as well, sir.”
At that, the man looks down, as if surprised by his own long and dark robe over his body. “You may be right. Anyhow, let us talk in my office.”
Minutely, Susato follows.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Although Genshin has shared stories of a time when he and Judge Jigoku were once friends, her father has never hidden how little affection and trust he now has for the judge. Susato never looked too deep into it until two years prior — and she made the conclusion that anyone would, probably: Yujin Mikotoba was their mutual friend and with the man gone, their feeble friendship disappeared. She doubts it is the full story, however, because whenever she sees the two interact, she can sense genuine friendship from Judge Jigoku and an immense amount of respect for her father, meanwhile Genshin is much more guarded, although polite nonetheless.
So logic says Susato should be wary of the man if her own father is keeping him at arm’s length despite working in close proximity, but there is very little she can do when one of the most powerful men in this country asks her for a private talk in his office, really.
Especially when he opens the conversation with: “So I hear you have been trying to reach Dr Wilson.”
Susato stiffens. Were they not supposed to be talking about the exchange programme… “I am merely interested in learning more about the body’s response to different types of poison, I hear it can be useful in a trial.”
Judge Jigoku hums. “If that were the case, you simply would have asked your new friend who is a doctor’s apprentice.” Susato barely manages to not frown in frustration at being caught so easily. “You are not as good of a liar as your father, Miss Asogi.”
Which one? She wonders.
“Or perhaps you would like to be referred to as Miss Mikotoba now?”
Susato fights the urge to gape at the insinuation. “Why would I ever forsake the name of the man who has raised me?”
“I was asking myself the same thing but it seems you have been trying to find out more about your biological father, am I wrong?” Judge Jigoku says. “I am afraid Dr Wilson will not be available for much longer for your questions, and I doubt he would answer them anyhow.”
“Is he returning to Great Britain?” she asks, foregoing the idea of asking how the man even knows about her motives.
In her quest to find the Doctor, she sort of forgot the judge in front of her was also an option, or perhaps she willingly ignored it because the figure of a judge who also doubles as their Minister of Foreign Affairs was too imposing and risky.
“You could say that,” is the elusive answer she gets. “Doctor Wilson did not know Yujin Mikotoba for long but I can guarantee he was complicit in some way, for convicting your father, and I know you want to find the truth and seek revenge.”
“I would not necessarily say revenge…” The word sounds dirty, dishonourable. She is seeking justice.
“Now do not play the innocent girl,” Judge Jigoku chastises. “I have seen what you are capable of with your hands and a sword, as a true member of the Asogi clan. And I have an offer to give you.”
He suddenly rounds his desk, opening a drawer and retrieving a piece of paper from it. Then he sits down on his chair and beckons Susato to walk closer before handing her the paper.
Her eyes widen as she is met with the list of potential candidates for the exchange programmes, the name Asogi written at the top of the list.
Except… except it is not Kazuma’s name written before it but hers. And then she notices something odd — none of the other names are law students, or most of them, at least.
“As you know, Great Britain has opened its doors to us, just like we have been accepting British students in our university,” Judge Jigoku says. Susato absently hums, recalling Haori’s extensive rants about said students. “I have yet to approve of the first pair I will send. Of course, your brother has been on top of the list, he is the best in his field and Genshin is a dear friend of mine. However.”
She really does not like the sound of that or the fact the man is making this pause last for far longer than needed. Is he enjoying seeing her try not to nervously fidget under his gaze?
“I was given a condition in my choice from my associate in Great Britain and it has to do with what transpired ten years ago, about your father. If you accept this mission, I promise to tell you the whole truth, if you do not manage to find it by yourself once on British soil.”
Susato frowns. It sounds like a lot of trouble, and yet… curiosity gets the best of her. “So you know what happened when even father doesn’t.”
“Genshin was much closer to Yujin than I was, I simply wished to spare him the pain of knowledge.” It seems cruel, actually, Susato thinks. “Do you accept?” he prompts.
“You did not explain what the mission is.”
“An assassination, and a guarantee you would walk away freely from it.”
And just like that, the blood drains from her limbs as she stares dumbfounded at the man before her. The word was said so casually, so easily, why did it roll so easily from the judge’s lips, even for a man who deals with crime in his everyday life?
“How could I ever accept that?!” she exclaims, losing the carefully put-up walls she had up until now.
Judge Jigoku, however, looks as calm as ever. “And if I told you the target is a man who has wronged both of your fathers, one by planting false evidence and the other by lying to him to his face to this day?”
“… Inspector Gregson?”
“Astute deduction.”
Inspector Gregson has appeared a few times in Genshin’s stories, and several times in Yujin’s notes and the Herlock Sholmes short stories as the Great Detective’s rival. She does remember Genshin mentioning him fondly, calling him a great ally in a sea of untrustworthy British crowds. That inspector could be the real key to uncovering everything about the Professor case since he was the leading inspector and he would probably not suspect a sweet innocent-looking young lady to have foul motives as well. Judge Jigoku knows that.
A familiar rage starts brewing in her heart, the same kind she festers for Dr Wilson now, as if inheriting the feeling of betrayal her biological father must have felt. Her fingers tighten around the paper, creasing it.
Then, a thought comes to her mind. She does not need to actually follow through with killing the man, does she? She does not trust Judge Jigoku, that would be foolish of her, he could tell her whatever suits him once the assassination is done, after all, but she could use this as an opportunity… as a guarantee. He would be none the wiser…
Although he does have an associate on the other side of the Pacific Ocean…
“I suppose this needs to stay a secret,” Susato declares, slowly lowering the paper on the desk. “I will do it.”
Judge Jigoku smiles slowly at her, a sardonic and calculating smile.
This is not a courtroom where I am obligated to tell the truth and yet here he is, assuming I am.
“Then I will promptly fill out the paperwork necessary for you and your brother to be on your way to London by next month. Thank you for your time, Miss Asogi.”
She bows. “Thank you for yours, Judge Jigoku, I will not disappoint you.”
The door closing behind her sounds like the gavel of justice handing down a verdict, as if her whole life’s trajectory suddenly shifted and was sealed.
A few hours later, Kazuma frantically comes back home and Susato feels her stomach drop at the distress on her brother’s face, a sense of foreboding polluting the air.
“Son, what happened?” Genshin asks, rushing to the boy’s side to offer comfort.
“It’s Ryunosuke! He’s been arrested! For…” a deep breath, “For Dr Wilson’s murder.”
Susato turns away with a gasp, pretending to hold back tears to hide the fact that she feels like puking.
That’s what he meant by “Doctor Wilson will no longer be available”. This was the real exchange programme. An assassination exchange.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Like an utter fool, Kazuma refuses to let their father handle the trial and decides to defend Ryunosuke himself at the risk of losing his opportunity to go to Great Britain, with their father standing next to him as his co-counsel since Susato is still not allowed inside the courtroom.
Years of work and studies and a stupid big heavy block of wood is what’s stopping me.
A part of Susato is proud of her brother for standing up for his friend with no hesitation and such determination, but another part of her cannot help but feel slightly miffed at the fact Kazuma was so willing to throw away her one chance of learning the truth about her biological father out the window for a man he has met only a year prior.
Because she knows this trial to be hopeless, now.
She is waiting in the defence lobby, staring intensely at her laps, knowing that if Kazuma loses, she loses too despite the deal she stroke with Judge Jigoku, when careful footsteps approach before a notebook is thrust into her vision. She startles, lifting her head up to see Haori standing there with a solemn and grief-stricken expression on her face.
And oh, with everything happening, she completely forgot to check on the other girl who just lost her mentor. What a horrendous friend she is.
“Haori—”
“This is Miss Brett’s research notebook,” Haori cuts her off, voice hollow, quiet anger in it. “I believe they will need it. Kazuma and Professor Asogi will soon understand who really did it, I am sure.”
“I… yes, I have no doubt.” Silence. Haori quietly sits down next to her, all poise and elegance to hide her inner turmoil. Susato can sense it, her friend is tense and her hands are shaking under the long sleeves of her kimono. “Are you okay?” she asks eventually, unable to handle the silence.
“Of course not,” Haori replies, she sounds almost indignant to be asked such a question. “My mentor is dead, what am I supposed to do now? None of the other professors ever took me seriously and the only one who did is now gone. My days here are counted now and oh how selfish I sound. A man is dead and all I can think of is that everything I have worked for will surely be taken away from me now.” She groans, hiding her face in her hands. “He was a good man, Susato.”
And Susato, to her own dismay, wants to disagree. That man, for all his kind smile and innocent-looking appearance, was part of some sort of conspiracy that doomed her biological father to a tragic end — and Dr Wilson knew him, they were friends, or at least co-workers. She feels no sympathy for the man, but her heart hurts seeing Haori this distraught over him.
He doesn’t deserve your sorrow, he doesn’t deserve your tears and your admiration.
And she wants to do something about it. “Then when this is over, come with me and Kazuma to England. If no future awaits you here now that your mentor is dead, then let us make one overseas.”
“Susato…”
“You’re light, I can easily hide you in my suitcase.”
This time Haori flushes. “Susato!”
Susato chuckles. “I am not jesting, though. Please do consider it, I would love to have you with me.”
If they even get to go, that is, but if she knows anything about her brother, it is that even in desperate times, he will always find a way to save his best friend. And she knows their father will do the same, he will fight to the end and perhaps even beyond, against Jezail Brett, against Hosonaga, against Judge Jigoku. Ryunosuke is in safe hands.
Her deal with Judge Jigoku is not, however. She did not sign any contract, after all, they just verbally agreed to the arrangement. And now that she knows… if Kazuma loses and Judge Jigoku is forced to choose another pair, would her own life be in danger now that she is aware of the assassination exchange?
Would Kazuma’s and her father’s? Oh, she did not think this through at all. She put her family in danger and the sinking feeling makes her want to disappear into the ground. It is worth it, she tries to tell herself, her father always highlights the importance of unearthing the truth, he, too, wants to know what happened to Yujin Mikotoba and finally lay his old friend’s soul to rest.
It is a gamble. It is worth it.
Is it?
“I must be quite tired because you are making sense to me,” Haori groans, rubbing her cheek. Her voice snaps Susato out of her morbid thoughts. “I love this place with all my heart and yet all I want right now is to get far away from here.”
“Then I will help you, just like your presence would help me,” Susato says, offering her a hand. Haori smiles and soon enough, warm dainty fingers intertwine with hers.
Susato indulges in the peaceful moment, before the doors burst open, her father, Kazuma and Ryunosuke stumbling out with various expressions of frustration on their faces. Susato catches a glimpse of Miss Brett before the doors close, the smug smile on her face blatant and mocking even from a distance. Haori abruptly lets go, jumping to her feet with Miss Brett’s notebook in hand as she walks right into Kazuma’s face to hand him the crucial piece of evidence.
She sees Kazuma’s eyes shine as he goes through the pages, sometimes pointing at a paragraph for Genshin and Ryunosuke to read as well, a winning smile soon blooming on the men’s lips.
Haori then turns around, triumphant and proud, looking for her, for her approval, and Susato smiles back.
Things are looking up, it seems.
It is worth it.
But as she looks at her family and friends from a distance, she cannot quite push down the feeling of guilt she feels, knowing what she is hiding from them.
Do not make hasty decisions, her father’s words come back to her.
Perhaps Yujin Mikotoba was one to do such things and Susato inherited it, who knows? Well, she will discover it soon enough.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Haori is not quite sure how she survived being jostled around in a cramped suitcase without any bruises, but she supposes she cannot complain. What confuses her more, however, is Susato’s insistence that they cannot tell Kazuma.
“Well, we are doing something illegal. It is one thing for me, the assistant, to bring a stowaway but if Kazuma knew it’d make him complicit and he could lose his licence for breaking laws…” Susato explained.
And Haori understands, really she does, but it does suck to have to hide in a closet whenever the boy is visiting their cabin. Kazuma is her friend too, after all, and she feels guilty for lying to him. They will need to figure out how to announce her presence when they reach London, though.
Also, the cabin does feel a little suffocating, especially considering that, unlike Kazuma, Susato was not given a room in the first-class section of the ship but at least, well, even here no one dares enter a lady’s room — Kazuma being the obvious exception as Susato’s brother — so Haori at least gets to sleep next to Susato without fear of being found out.
And if it makes her feel butterflies in her stomach to lay by Susato’s side and feel her warmth and be surrounded by her sweet scent, well, no one has to know.
It is odd, she thinks, how much Susato has changed her life in the span of a few months. Even Dr Wilson hiring her as his assistant did not feel quite as important, although, obviously, that had been the catalyst leading her to meet the peculiar girl she has been spending every second of her days with now.
“We’re about halfway through the journey, I think,” Susato muses. “And I still cannot like the food they have been serving us.” She punctuates her words by sliding her plate towards Haori.
“You are an awful liar.”
“Well, I did not want you to reject eating the whole plate again,” Susato tuts. “This chicken does have a weird aftertaste though.”
“I’m a scientist, I know how long I can go without food and you’re the one who still needs to go out of this cabin and still appear as lively as ever,” Haori protests.
“See, you’re doing it, again.” Susato huffs. “And that was a logical fallacy, being a scientist does not guarantee you’d be careful instead of trying to take care of me first like you’re doing right now.”
“And you’re being dramatic, it is not like I am starving.”
“Indulge me this, please,” the other girl insists. “Take the whole plate for tonight, I’m not hungry anyhow.”
The dark look in her eyes catches Haori’s attention. “Something in your mind?”
“I just… made a decision. But it is getting late, so it will have to wait tomorrow, I think.”
Haori frowns. “You’re worrying me, Susato.”
Her friend chuckles, a little sadly, guiltily, even. “I figured, after bringing you here, it might finally be time to tell you the truth about my… desire to go to Great Britain.” Susato taps the brooch over her heart. “You remember the story behind this?”
Haori needs. “Of course. Your father’s. Or well, your other father the, uh…”
“The dead one, yes,” Susato confirms bluntly, far less uncomfortable with the concept of death than Haori is, despite the irony that between the two of them, Haori has probably held lifeless creatures in her hands more often than her. “It is the only thing I have left of him, of a man I never met… because he died far away from Japan.”
“So is this a desire to want to see what made him love Great Britain so much? Walk into your fathers’ steps?”
Susato suddenly looks tired, fingers still lightly gripping her brooch. “It is a bit more complicated than that, I will tell you tomorrow.” Then she leans forward, their foreheads touching. Haori’s heart stutters as her senses are overwhelmed by Susato’s gentle floral scent she somehow always carries with her. “But you cannot understand how thankful I am that you are here with me.”
I love you, it’s only been a few months but I love you.
Haori swallows the words. Instead of replying, she hums and leans into the touch. For now, it will do.
It will be her own little secret until the moment is right.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Haori’s head is pounding when consciousness comes back to her the next day. Her eyes struggle to adjust to the light around her. Yet, there is no warmth beside her, just plain cold sheets which is quite odd— Susato is usually the one who wakes her in the morning, never leaving her alone in bed if she can help it.
“Haori,” a stern and familiar voice, but not the one she was hoping to hear, says and she startles, only to realise that her wrists feel heavy. She moves them, hearing the unmistakable sound of shackles. “What are you doing here?”
“I— Kazuma-kun?” she chances, her vision finally adjusting to everything around her and seeing the boy a few years her senior glaring at her in despair and confusion. “Where’s… where’s Susato?”
Kazuma looks away then, a sombre tone to his eyes and she follows his gaze, her breath coming up short at the outline on the floor.
An outline in chalk.
Like…
Like a crime scene.
“I was hoping you could tell me,” Kazuma says, anger and grief barely hidden in his voice. “Because as the scene stands, Haori, you are the prime suspect for her murder.”
… What?
#susahao week 2022#susahao#susahao fic#susarei#asoryuu#dai gyakuten saiban#the great ace attorney#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#HUGE spoilers for this one as roleswap aus are wont to be#my fics
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A Study In Colours
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami). Implied asoryuu in the beginning
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 5: Family/Legacy
Word count: 2.5k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Susato officially enrols on Yumei University under the name Ryutaro Naruhodo shortly after Kazuma-sama and Naruhodo-san officially graduate. For the ceremony, Kazuma-sama had come back to Japan, even if it was only for a short time, he made sure to tell them.
“I found that I quite like London, and I would hate to abandon Barok and Gina after all we’ve been through. I know Japan is in good hands with the both of you,” her brother had explained during the celebratory dinner. Susato was too proud to admit she was saddened at the news meanwhile Naruhodo-san never was good at hiding his real feelings in the first place and looked down for the rest of the evening and did his best to smile when someone asked if he was doing alright.
Susato saw him and Kazuma discreetly retire to the garden. She did not see them for the rest of the evening but the next day, Naruhodo-san was in a much brighter spirit, although an underlining of sadness still gleamed in his eyes.
The thing is, as horrible as it may sound, Susato got used to a life without her brother by her side, and she is aware not much is likely to change once he takes his boat back to British soil. She first thought him dead for a year, she mourned him, and when she got him back, she still decided to leave him behind to stay by Naruhodo-san’s side instead and she doesn’t regret that decision, far from it, they have achieved so much fixing Japan’s judicial system together and Kazuma-sama had Lord van Zieks, Gina and the Sholmes by his side, but a treacherous part of her wondered if she had just substituted Kazuma-sama with Naruhodo-san in her life. That, in her brother’s absence, she latched onto someone else to fill the void and pretend things have not changed that much.
Hence why she made the decision to endeavour a legal career of her own now, even if under another’s name — for all the reforms they managed to pass, women are still forbidden to practice law because this country hates women, apparently. Naruhodo-san has grown a lot over the year since their return and doesn’t need her assistance as much as he once used to and while Susato will be happy to continue assisting him as Susato, she can now have her own thing as Ryutaro.
Nothing like beating the fear of change like making a completely life-altering choice and grabbing change by the throat to take control!
Did that make sense?
Haori is supportive, and more than happy to get to see Ryutaro again, much to Susato’s amusement. Now that they have entered a romantic relationship shortly after she came back from Great Britain, she is more than happy to indulge her girl of the sort. As Ryutaro, it makes it acceptable for them to be seen holding hands outside, it makes it acceptable for her to be openly courting Haori and fool the whole world.
Living a double life is exhausting, however.
Haori chuckles as Susato lets herself fall against her side, never mind that her lover is holding a needle in her hand and needs to be careful. Susato currently needs the physical touch to forget all about her woes.
“Prosecutor Auchi?” Haori guesses correctly.
Susato groans. “The son, this time, I cannot believe that man procreated… Kazuma-sama should have stayed so there would be at least one prosecutor who is not annoying in Japan,” she deadpans.
“Perhaps that is why he did not stay. To never see Prosecutor Auchi and his family again.”
“Suddenly, I cannot blame him.”
Haori chuckles once again, the sound wrapping around Susato’s heart and making it stutter with affection. Oh, she probably will never tire of hearing it.
“How is the embroidery going?” she asks eventually.
Haori had offered to help her personalise her student uniform since she is far better at manual work as a future doctor than Susato could ever hope to be. She only gave her ideas and the colour she wanted to accentuate the black of the uniform and Haori diligently and gladly went to work.
“Well, I meant to ask… Was it on purpose?” Haori replies, fingers tracing the purple embroidery ornaments across “Ryutaro”’s student hat.
Susato tilts her head to get a better look at it. Haori finished embroidering a cherry blossom flower on one side. “What do you mean?”
“The colour you chose. Purple. Kazuma-sama had red on his uniform and with that headband of his he used to wear, Naruhodo-san has some blue on his cape, and the two together…”
Oh. “Make purple,” Susato finishes with a look of total wonder in her eyes. “To be frank with you… I only asked for purple because Iris had made me an outfit in purple back in London…”
“A simple coincidence, then,” Haori muses but Susato is not so sure she agrees now, although she doesn’t say anything else. “I think it suits you, either way.”
Susato smiles, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you, lovely.”
She will never tire of seeing Haori’s pale cheeks burn bright red every time.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Susato remembers a time when her father had expected her to follow in his footsteps, and find interest in medicine and science, only to be swayed away by Kazuma-sama’s intense conviction and desire to study law. Her father would coax her with his research paper and colourful diagrams, only for Susato to ignore them and turn to her big brother and ask him what he was reading so intensely. Looking back, she can smile remembering her father’s dejected face yet proud smile as she found her own path.
She supposes it is appropriate she now borrows Naruhodo-san’s name as a boy, because that is something they have in common — stepping into the jaws of the law in a desire to match up to Kazuma-sama.
“You have already both surpassed me, I have no idea what you are talking about,” her brother had laughed when she shared that thought with him before he left for Great Britain again. “And in case it was not already obvious, I am so proud of you, Susato.”
Susato cried. He held her, Naruhodo-san joining the embrace after some coaxing. Later, she cried again when Haori asked her if she was alright. She held her too, tighter somehow.
It is silly, to be so focused on the colour now subtly adorning her hat and cape. Red and blue. Purple. She carries the two men she considers her brothers with her now whenever she steps into Yumei University, sharing a childhood and history with one, and a year of trials and tribulations as well as a name with the other.
It is a comforting thought, she decides. Kazuma-sama is on the other side of the world and Naruhodo-san is away at work while she takes classes, but they are always there with her anyway. And with Haori’s hand being the one who added the purple accents to her uniform, she also carries her love with her on this new journey.
Speaking of, with flowers in one hand and lunch in a bag for three in the other, she is now heading towards the laboratory of the university. Haori and her father tend to forget about time when they are engrossed in their research and Susato has taken the habit of coming over during her lunch break to remind them to take a break as well. Fortunately, as both Haori’s lover and the famed Professor Mikotoba’s new protégé, she can walk into the lab without anyone truly batting an eye when even as Susato, she would not be allowed to go visit her father on a whim.
She greets everyone with a polite nod as she makes her way towards her father’s research room. The door is already wide open so Susato walks in before stopping at the doorframe. She leans against it as she takes in the sight before her.
Both Haori and her father are wearing western typical white scientist coats and gloves since they apparently are more practical to move around quickly without risk of spilling anything in their wake. Haori’s long hair is held back in a low ponytail that reaches the middle of her back, a pair of clear glasses on her head and holding back her bangs usually hiding her forehead. A pencil is precariously balanced behind her right ear and she fiddles with it every once in a while when she speaks theories Susato cannot pretend to comprehend. Susato’s father is listening intently as well, arms crossed with a hand holding his chin in a telltale sign he is concentrating deeply as well.
It is fascinating, to see them in their element. Susato has always been queasy around needles and chemicals, hence why she never thought to ever become a doctor like her father, but it must be fate that in some way, somehow, she found Haori who fits right in, taking the place Susato could never take and bringing that smile on her father’s face.
And it hits her then. One day, her father will retire and Haori will be the one holding the torch and continuing his research and experiments. Haori will be the one taking over this lab and his classes, the way Susato or Kazuma-sama would never have accepted to do. One day, she will make history with her scientific endeavour and positive attitude and Susato will have the honour of staying by her side the way she used to gloat over how smart her father is to every innocent passerby in the street.
She finds herself a little teary-eyed at the thought and she clears her throat to push away the feeling, unfortunately bringing attention to her and breaking Haori’s and her father’s science bubble.
“Ah, Ryutaro-kun,” her father greets smoothly. “I suppose it is time for a break, Haori.”
Haori chuckles. “Indeed, I did not see the time pass!” But then her eyes fall properly on Susato and a small frown creases her brow. Fortunately, she does not say anything and simply removes her glasses and gloves. “Ryutaro-kun, I will go change, I will be right back.”
“Of course,” Susato answers, hoping her voice does not sound too strangled.
Haori gives her a reassuring pat on the arm and a smile on her way before running down the hall. Then, Susato feels a strong hand on her shoulder.
“Tough day?” her father inquires.
She sniffs then chuckles. “I am getting used to… all this. It is still odd to follow my own path, and not follow someone’s… My side is a bit lonely.”
Her father hums wisely. “You know what I will say.”
Susato rolls her eyes. “Yes yes, the people I hold dear may be far but they always are in my heart,” she repeats, tapping her chest as emphasis. “Or in Naruhodo-san’s case, just across the street.”
“Exactly. Now that you have your own career, he is finally learning to do his own paperwork, is that not wonderful?” Her father laughs. “Haori is quite brilliant, you know?”
“Of course I do, that is my partner you are talking about, f— Professor Mikotoba,” Susato huffs with pride, remembering last second to keep the pretences up just in case anyone was walking by. “But do tell, what scientific breakthrough did she find today?”
“I think she should be the one to tell you,” her father says in the end. “But let’s just say that the future of Japanese science and medicine is in good hands.”
“That I have no doubt. She may become better than you!”
Her father chuckles. “That I have no doubt either, Ryutaro-kun.”
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
They are walking side by side back home when Haori quietly asks, arms wrapped around Susato’s left one, “Why were you upset earlier?”
It takes a few seconds for the words to register in Susato’s mind and remember what she is referring to. “Ah. I was not upset.”
Haori frowns. “You looked ready to cry,” she refutes.
Susato smiles, embarrassed. “Well yes, but not because I was upset. Quite the contrary, actually. Did you know your eyes always shine when you start talking about science? I could almost be jealous.”
Haori blushes prettily, suddenly turning her head away to hide. “Quit teasing me.”
“I am not! Although, it is really cute,” Susato cannot help but indeed tease, brushing her lips against Haori’s temple. She feels her huff.
“I cannot just be cute if I want to be taken seriously, however,” her lover sighs, growing serious now. “It is isolating enough, being surrounded by so many men especially when the last woman in our department turned out to be an assassin.”
“And I admire that, about you, how you keep going and challenging these men, besting them even, and that, without even needing a disguise.”
Haori’s gentle grey eyes finally fall back on her. “Well, it is not illegal for me to walk into the lab, at least… I think what you are doing is just as admirable, if not more.”
It is Susato’s turn to blush. “Anyhow, what I meant to say… when I watched you and father talk this afternoon, it made me realise… well, that as my father’s apprentice, you’ll always be a part of my life, won’t you?”
Haori’s face melts into a fond expression as she squeezes Susato’s arm closer to her chest. “Oh, Susato, of course, I will always be a part of your life. It was part of my plan all along, you see? Swaying your father with science so that you are stuck with me no matter what!”
Susato grins, cheeks hurting a tiny bit with how big her smile is. “Mm, that is true. Even after he retires, you will take on his work, and improve them and I will be there, witnessing it all, but most of all, making sure you make my father’s name proud.”
“Most of all because you love me, you mean!” Haori exclaims playfully, tugging her arm so Susato has to lean down a little, their faces now closer.
“Well, that too,” Susato concedes with an indulgent smile as she pecks her excited lover on the lips for a quick second. Haori’s smile grows wider, if even possible. “Our future seems so bright, I cannot wait to witness it.”
“Live it, you mean,” Haori corrects. “Remember? You are no longer the assistant on the side, you will be the main participant of the court. A lawyer, Susato. You are already actively changing our very own justice system, that is more than what a witness can ever do.”
Susato feels close to tears once again — oh dear, has she just spent too much time around Naruhodo-san and picked on his sentimentalism on top of stealing his family name?
“I love you,” she settles for saying instead.
Haori probably answers, reciprocating the declaration like she always does, but Susato’s focus shifts to the sun setting on the horizon as peace and pride wash over her under the golden light. A new day ends as her thoughts are filled with love, hope, and certainty for the first time since she had to say goodbye to Kazuma-sama.
Yes. The future is bright. Haori is bright. And Susato cannot wait to live it to the fullest with her favourite person by her side.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao week 2022#susahao#susahao fic#susarei#dai gyakuten saiban#the great ace attorney#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#my fics
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A Wish Across Oceans
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami)
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 6: Goodbyes/Opposites
Word count: 1.5k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Great Britain.
As Susato sets foot in the Great British Empire’s heart again, it is still early in the morning. The sun is not even out yet, the moon shining still brilliantly in the dark sky of Great Britain. Unlike back at home, she could not see the stars under the smoke of the gloomy city. It has been weeks now and yet the thrill of standing at the defence bench as the acting defence is still making her heart race. The thrill of freeing her precious person from the vice of injustice is lingering and there is longing now, knowing she won’t ever feel that again. At least not for a while.
By the time she takes the train and gets to London, the sun should be out, at least. She decides to wait on a bench for the train, looking up at the glass ceiling of the train station, and here she can actually see a clearer night sky, surprisingly.
Her mind is brought back to a similar night when she arrived back in Japan a few months back now, Haori welcoming her back with a warm hug. Later that day, she learned her father had lied about his health to force her to come back home and in a fit of rage, Susato had left the house and headed straight for Haori’s instead, to calm down, lest she lost her temper in front of her father.
They lay down in Haori’s garden, looking up at the twinkling night sky.
“Was London really better than here?” Haori asked softly, hand in the air as she absentmindedly traced the constellations in the sky.
“It was dreadful, actually… but lively and exciting all at once,” Susato replied. “The people… are a mixed bag.”
Haori chuckled. “Natsume-san indeed had less than favourable words to say about British people, it certainly does not make me want to go there any time soon.”
Susato had hummed, mind still reeling and conflicting emotions battling inside her. She was glad to be home but she loathed the fact she left Naruhodo-san behind when he seemed to need her the most. Her thoughts only slowed down when Haori gently reached forward and held her hand as she started pointing at a constellation and explaining the story behind its name, even if Susato already knew them. That is one thing Susato has always loved about her friend, Haori always knew when she needed to rant, or when she needed a distraction and would always provide one so naturally.
On that night, she wished that through all the changes in life, she would always have Haori by her side. That through the craziness of life and the grief of losing loved ones, she would always have her comfort in Haori’s warmth and smile, if fate can spare her this little kindness.
The next day, she went back home and her father apologised, confessing that he had already lost Kazuma-sama — his son, he said with emphasis, because he never allowed himself to use such a term before — to that study tour, he did not want to risk losing his daughter as well. She may have cried a little, even if a part of her still doubted he was telling the whole truth.
The loud sound of the train’s horn brings her back to the present and she jumps on her feet.
“I cannot lie and say I am not saddened you are leaving so quickly,” Haori’s words echo back in her mind as she sits down in her designated seat. “I will keep you in my thoughts and wish you the best. If there is anything that seeing you in court made me realise is that you are meant for this, Susato, saving and changing lives as you have done mine and I will always be here, cheering you on!”
Susato smiles as she lets her head rest against the window with a wistful sigh. There was so much more she wanted to say, on that dock, perhaps a confession, but all she could muster at the time was a hug as words failed her. She simply wishes that her friend understood — no matter what, she will always come back to her.
Hours later, as she carefully steps down the train, she sees lovely little Iris waving wildly at her with a big smile on her lips in the distance, standing out with her bright hair and enthusiasm among the British somber crowd.
“Susie! Over here!” she calls, jumping on her feet and making her intricate braids bounce over her head. Susato chuckles, making her way towards the young girl and catching her in her arms when Iris jumps as soon as she is close enough. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“And so I, Iris,” Susato replies, squeezing the bundle of joy against her, eliciting a string of giggles from the pink-haired girl. “I hope you kept Naruhodo-san out of further trouble!” And Mr Sholmes too, actually… Oh dear, the poor girl must have been busy. “Speaking of which… why are you alone?”
“Oh! Runo has a trial and I didn’t tell him you would be returning today. I thought I could surprise him with you!” A pause. “And uh, he might need your help, I believe, this case is quite peculiar.”
“You helped him investigate?”
Iris nods. “I will tell you everything. Mr Reaper also has an apprentice now so you have a rival for the best assistant, Susie!”
“You did not mention that in your letters,” Susato points out, intrigued.
“Oh, we met him yesterday! A lot happened yesterday.”
Well, it does sound like a promising adventure ahead.
Wish me luck, Haori.
Japan.
By now, Susato should have reached Great Britain, Haori muses as she looks over the vast night sky, laid down in the garden behind her house.
Her empty, very lonely house.
She has grown used to the quiet and loneliness by now, but it does not mean it hurts any less to think about it. Even Professor Mikotoba had to leave along with Judge Jigoku roughly a few days after Susato departed so Haori does not even have any familiar faces around the university anymore.
It is a little pathetic, perhaps, the fact that outside of the Mikotobas, she never connected with anyone else, but she never felt like she needed to. Susato, Kazuma-sama, Professor Mikotoba, and Doctor Wilson were all the people she thought she needed — and now two are dead and two are away on the other side of the world where she could never reach them.
She sighs. Even if she tried making new friends, being accused of murder has put a serious warning sign above her head and although she has been acquitted, rumours and mean looks persist.
“Oh Haori, how hopeless you are,” she laments, hands held up high as if she could reach the stars. She curls a fist around the moon and brings it back against her chest.
She wishes she was with them… with her. She wishes she had been brave enough to jump on that boat as well and endeavour into that new territory, be by Susato’s side the way Susato had been by hers during her whole trial. Because… because the idea of losing Susato is unbearable especially if she could not do anything to protect her. Haori could not protect her mentor, she never got to say goodbye to Kazuma-kun and she failed to save Jezail Brett. And she failed to put aside her fears of the unknown so she could go support her friend in person. Such a failure on all accounts.
Ah, but Susato would hate hearing her say such things about herself. Haori could hear her voice chiding “how dare you insult my best friend of the sort!” The thought pulls a smile from her lips, despite the unshed tears now blurring her vision and stopping her from properly admiring the constellations above.
She recalls Susato’s face on that dock, full of hope and determination as she was heading towards her destiny. She is meant for this, she had thought and then said it out loud because it needed to be said. Susato needed to know how much Haori cares, just in case.
And yet, three little words still refused to spill out of her mouth. It was so peculiar, how much easier it was, to express her affection openly while Susato was disguised as Ryutaro. Perhaps it was the reassurance that Susato would not take them to heart and thus could not really reject her, or the fact no one would have judged her for confessing to who appeared to be a boy. Either way, Haori wishes she had been brave enough, all over again.
Above all, I wish she will come home safely.
Haori lets out another long, wistful sigh, then finally gets up.
It is time to go sleep — with Professor Mikotoba away, as his assistant and protégée, she is now responsible for the laboratory and their ongoing research studies, and oh will she need the rest and strength for such a task. Hopefully, the amount of work ahead will keep her distracted from worrying about her best friend overseas.
Best of luck, Susato, please come back to me when you’ve done changing the world.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao week 2022#susahao#susahao fic#susarei#dai gyakuten saiban#the great ace attorney#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#my fics
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A Joyous Fair
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairings: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami). Side Kazuma Asogi/Ryunosuke Naruhodo + mentioned Gina Lestrade/Maria Gorey
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 3: AU/Modern Day
Word count: 3k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
Susato finds herself almost longing for the time when Kazuma was not very fond of parties or outings, too focused on his studies and her to even care about making friends. Then he went to college and started his internship at Wright Anything Agency where he met the boss’ younger cousin who, Susato has to assume, developed an instant crush and kept inviting Kazuma to various outings over the months.
Her brother is, like always, completely oblivious to the whole ordeal and Susato almost feels bad for Ryunosuke. But she mostly feels bad for herself because she finds herself to be the one person the guy decides to confide his unsuccessful attempts at dates to.
“I’ve tried every trick in the books!” Ryunosuke complains that day, once again, while Susato is trying to do her homework on the stairs leading towards the Asogi residence, waiting for Kazuma to show up. After starting university, Kazuma moved out to move into his parents’ old house that he still owned as per Genshin Asogi’s will, since the house was closer to Ivy University but also his internship and he wanted some independence, Susato supposes, even if he’s close enough that she and their father can visit often.
The Mikotoba house sure is much quieter now that Kazuma isn’t there every day, though.
“Crazy idea but have you considered telling him you’re taking him on dates?”
"You can give me lessons when you finally figure out what’s going on with you and Haori, alright?” Ryunosuke replies.
Susato’s pen slips, creating a hard line across a complicated equation she just figured out in her head and now everything has vanished from her mind. Haori may be her one weakness. She met the girl only at the beginning of the year since their lockers were next to each other, and Haori single-handedly put a dent in Susato’s study-focused mind with a simple smile and a gentle “hi”. Before she could understand it, Susato found herself drawn to her and slowly, but surely, she found her way into the friend group Haori already had, befriending Gina and then Gina’s girlfriend Maria with relative ease.
It took a few weeks and a lot of teasing from her family to realise that what she was feeling was a crush. She can’t be blamed, she thought she’d never meet anyone who could elicit the passionate feelings she reads in novels.
“That’s completely different!” she objects. “Pretty sure she’s straight anyway. My brother is not and he does not hide it.”
“Uh uh,” Ryunosuke says, thoroughly unconvinced.
Susato sighs. “Listen, there’s a fair next weekend. Go to the haunted house with him or the Ferris Wheel!”
“Susato, I am terrified of both.”
“Even more perfect, you’ll have an excuse to cling to him!” Susato counters and to her merit, Ryunosuke actually considers the option. “Or you can try to win him one of those giant stuffed animals, he loves those. Don’t tell him I told you that though.”
“They’re rigged though.”
“Well, you’re not wrong about that. It’s the effort that counts though?”
Ryunosuke doesn’t get to reply because Kazuma suddenly appears, his shadow looming over them as he looks over Susato’s homework.
“Your second answer is wrong,” her brother says and she promptly closes her notebook. One thing she didn’t miss is Kazuma monitoring her work, she has enough to catch up to when she intends on pursuing the same career as him, already.
“Took you long enough, Kazuma,” Ryunosuke says as he stands up.
“Lost my binder somewhere and all my other ones were in the wash,” Kazuma replies with a shrug. “So, what were you talking about?”
“The fair next weekend,” Susato promptly answers. “I was telling Ryunosuke it would be a nice break. It’s after your exams too, isn’t it? And it would be the beginning of my break.”
Kazuma hums. “You think I can manage to drag Barok to it? Dude really needs to loosen up but he’s allergic to parties.”
Susato catches Ryunosuke pouting at the mention of the TA in Kazuma’s criminal justice course. The man is a social recluse and yet apparently Kazuma has bothered him enough to become some sort of friends. From what Susato understands, Kazuma’s late father and Barok’s late brother used to know each other. Susato met him one afternoon as she visited Kazuma and Barok was there, helping her brother with an assignment. Never mind that the assignment was not about criminal justice whatsoever but she didn’t exactly dare make a remark under the intimidating gaze of the British man.
They’re not dating, as far as Susato is aware, and Barok seems too emotionally constipated for that anyway. She is rooting for Ryunosuke, but she struggles to understand if her brother is even interested in either of them.
“Should we invite Herlock too then?” Ryunosuke says, the TA in his English Literature class.
“No way! Then dad will want to come, I love him but I don’t need him over my shoulder the whole day,” Susato protests. “I can bring Gina, Maria and Haori though.”
“Wait no, we need to invite Herlock, so Iris will be there and she can convince Barok to come!” Kazuma counters. “He’d never miss the opportunity to see his niece.”
“But dad will embarrass us!” Susato does not whine. “And why are you so hellbent on bringing Barok anyway?”
“Have you seen him? He looks like a vampire, I want to drag him to the haunted house and see if he’d scare them. Or if anything fazes him. Really, I just want to get a reaction out of him outside of annoyance.”
“I— You know what, I’m curious too now.”
Ryunosuke sends her a betrayed look.
“I know! We must do this. Oh, and I’ve heard there will be a love tunnel this year…” Kazuma trails off suggestively. “I know who to trap in there.”
“You can’t really force people on rides though…” Ryunosuke comments. “Also Barok would kill you.”
“Who said he’s the one I wanna trap there?” Kazuma grins like the Cheshire Cat. “Come on partner, your deductions are usually better than that.”
“Um…”
Susato tunes them out for the rest of the way to the library as she texts Haori the plan for next weekend.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
In the end, Kazuma drags both Barok and Ryunosuke to the haunted house first — he’s holding their hands for god’s sake — and Susato watches them with a bemused smile on her lips. It seems her brother’s obliviousness has reached such an absurd level, he isn’t even aware of how his actions look to the outsider and how both Ryunosuke and Barok follow him like docile puppies.
“Should we go to the haunted house too?” Susato asks Haori who stiffens. She chuckles. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“I’d hate to accidentally hurt an actor, you know my first instinct is to punch when I’m scared…” Haori says and yeah, Susato knows, she does that while watching scary movies too. She just punches the air before hiding behind her sleeves, which is greatly endearing. “And— wait, where are Gina and Maria?”
A look around gives them the answer. Maria is dragging a reluctant Gina towards the haunted house as well. Maria might as well have stars in her eyes as she stares up at the attraction before going in, Gina’s arm firmly in her hands.
“Guess everyone went in,” Susato comments and now she actually is curious to know if it is worth the hype. She hardly ever is scared herself.
“Your dad, Iris and Herlock decided on the Ferris Wheel instead, I’d rather go there.”
Susato looks at her sceptically. She knows Haori handles heights as much as Ryunosuke, which means not at all.
“Let’s go try to win some prizes,” Susato decides instead.
Haori frowns. “But they’re rigged.” Wow, she and Ryunosuke really would get on well if they spent more time together.
“And I’m determined.”
“Susato… don’t,” her friend sighs.
“Now I’m taking it as a challenge.”
Haori smiles, fond and exasperated. “In those moments I realise how much alike you and your brother are.”
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
So they go through every stand, Haori convincing Susato to only try each game once so they don’t waste too much money. Susato manages to win multiple small plushies from claw machines, a bubble-making thingy from the ring tosser game that Susato suspects won’t last more than a week, nothing from the basketball one — Haori had to physically drag her away — and by the time they reach the shooting range game, Kazuma and Ryunosuke have exited the haunted house and joined them.
“Where’s Barok?” Susato asks, deciding to ignore how pale Ryunosuke looks and how he’s clinging to Kazuma’s headband as if his life depended on it.
“With Iris. She and I may have pushed dad and Herlock into the queue for the love tunnel, so,” Kazuma answers, oh so that’s who he wanted to trap there. “I had promised her and Barok to find a way to get them out of the way for a bit.”
“Ryunosuke, are you okay…?” Haori eventually asks.
Ryunosuke shakily nods. “F-Fine.”
“He accidentally punched an actor in an attempt to protect me and he still feels bad about it,” Kazuma says, looking fond. “But anyway, have you managed to win anything interesting? I’ve been eyeing that huge teddy bear over there…”
“Hah! No way, I will be winning that one for Haori!” Susato exclaims.
Before Haori or Kazuma could respond to that, Ryunosuke suddenly seems to regain his senses and steps forward, facing Susato head-on. “Absolutely not, I will.”
“What?” Both Haori and Kazuma ask, thoroughly confused.
“This is a shooting range, Ryunosuke,” she reminds him. “We both know who has the advantage here with a gun.”
“But I have a better aim than you as an archer.”
“Guns and bows are very different weapons though,” Kazuma points out but Ryunosuke cuts him off with a hand on his mouth.
“Shush partner, I’m doing this for you.”
And Susato is momentarily distracted when she sees her brother falter and blush. She chances a glance at Haori who is equally stunned at the sight. Her eyes meet her friend’s and a silent conversation ensues.
You don’t mind if I let him win right?
Absolutely not.
I’ll win you another teddy bear later.
Oh, Susato you don’t need to.
I insist!
Ryunosuke clears his throat, handing her a rifle. “So?”
Susato smiles. “You’re on.”
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
“You think he noticed you purposely missed the targets?” Haori inquires later, now carrying a medium-sized teddy bear Susato ended up winning instead of the giant one.
Susato huffs as she tries to rearrange her hair without a mirror. A few rogue strands had fallen off during her friendly competition with Ryunosuke at the shooting range. Sure, she let him win but purposely missing targets was surprisingly difficult, ok?
“Probably not. Kazuma did, though.”
“Hey, let me…” Haori starts, handing her the teddy bear before standing behind her. Susato frowns, about to ask her what she is doing, when she feels careful fingers tread through her hair, undoing the knots and taking away her hair ties.
Soon enough, long bangs fall over her eyes and she blows on them to regain some kind of vision.
“I constantly forget your hair is longer than mine,” Haori muses.
“I probably should get a haircut soon…” Susato replies. Or ask Kazuma when he has the time.
“Are you ever gonna cut it short?”
Mm. Susato thought about it but she likes being able to try so many different hairstyles. “Don’t think so,” she settles for saying.
She feels a pin being secured at the back of her head as Haori continues to carefully comb her hair with idle fingers.
“Watching Ryunosuke and Kazuma… it made me wonder…” Susato starts tentatively, earning an inquisitive hum from her friend. “Have you ever thought of dating?”
The fingers pause in her hair. “Have you? You’ve always been so focused on school…”
“That’s not answering my question.”
A beat passes before Haori resumes putting Susato’s hair up, another pin being secured on the side of her head, carefully removing one big strand that was obscuring Susato’s view.
“I have,” Haori answers eventually. Yeah, Susato suspected as much, out of the two of them, Haori has always been the most vocal about the crushes she gets. “But it wouldn’t amount to anything.”
“How can you be sure?”
Haori doesn’t reply for a while, opting to focus instead on finishing Susato’s hair in silence. Susato indulges her, instinctively clutching the teddy bear in her arms a bit more strongly than needed. In the distance, she can still see their friends go about around the fair. The sun is starting to set and yet, no one seems preoccupied with it, or tired from a whole day running around.
Susato hasn’t felt this much bliss in a long time since Kazuma moved out.
Finally, the last pin is secured and Haori walks back in front of her, prying the teddy bear away from her arms with gentle, if not a little trembling hands. Susato takes a steady breath as she lifts her eyes to meet the grey of her friend’s.
“So… who is it?” Susato asks then.
Haori falters, smile a bit more uncertain as her cheeks turn pink. “Susato…” Susato nods and waits. A beat passes. Haori sighs. “… You’re as oblivious as your brother.”
“I—!”
“That was my answer, it’s you,” Haori confesses. “But, ah, I know it made you uncomfortable that one time I actually tried to be more straightforward and flirt with you so. Honestly, I’m just happy to be your friend.” Susato stares, the words not computing in her mind, apparently. “Uh… I broke you. I’m just gonna—”
“Wait!” Susato panics, grabbing Haori’s hand before she could walk away. “I just— needed to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. When was that?”
Haori frowns, now holding the teddy bear in one arm. “Uh, I don’t know, sometime last month? Oh! It was after our English class while we were reading from Romeo and Juliet.”
“Wait, really?” She remembers that day, she had decided to dress more masculine as an experiment after Kazuma had encouraged her and lent her some of his clothes that surprisingly fit — which made her feel giddy. It just happened that that day they also had to study Romeo and Juliet in class and she volunteered to read as Romeo while Haori joyfully volunteered for Juliet.
And she does remember Haori being a little more flirty after the class but she had wrongfully assumed it was because she decided to be more masculine that day and she was staying somewhat in character—
Haori clears her throat. “Listen I’m embarrassed enough—”
“Can I kiss you?” Susato blurts out.
Silence. They stare at each other, the two of them breathless, somehow, and Susato feels like her heart is about to burst.
“Alright I feel like we jumped a hundred steps here,” Haori chuckles, looking away and half-hiding behind the teddy bear.
She gotta stop being so cute.
“I’d like to think of it as catching up,” Susato counters, tightening her hold on her friend’s hand. “I thought you only liked guys.”
“Wow, you’ve really been oblivious, huh.”
“Hey!”
Haori laughs, this time more from a genuine feeling of joy than out of nervousness. “I guess I can’t fault you, I only talked about my silly boy crushes with you but every time I was actually talking about you. I thought you would have connected the dots eventually, but turns out that’s one subject where you don’t excel.”
There’s this guy… always has his nose in a book. We don’t share a lot of classes but he always makes sure to greet me and ask me if I’ve done all the work.
Oh, this other guy always holds the door for me and he bows when I thank him! I mean it’s a little much but it’s cute.
This boy is so smart but he never makes me feel like I’m dumb either, you know? He helps me with homework and stuff and it’s nice.
Maria and Gina are getting so tired of hearing me talk about this boy, but I can’t help it! He just has the sweetest smile and is always so confident, God, I wonder what it must feel like, to have his undivided attention. I’d feel like the luckiest girl on earth!
Haori was talking about her all these times?
“You could have told me…” she whispers, full of wonder and relief.
Haori smiles. “Well, you never showed any interest in any of this romance stuff and I didn’t want to impose, I don’t know. I did ask Kazuma for advice once and he just sighed. Like!” She huffs. “One question and he looked like he wanted to die from exasperation! Rude. Your brother is rude.”
“Yeah, that’s probably my fault,” Susato groans, fighting the urge to hide behind her hands now. “I’ve bothered him about my crush on you ever since I met you.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh.”
A pause. Susato suddenly laughs. “We’re kind of idiots.”
Haori smiles, her hand turning in Susato’s so their fingers interlock. “I guess we are.”
“So… what now?”
“I’ve never seen you so unsure of yourself, it’s almost refreshing,” Haori teases gently. “Well now, let me thank you for today and all the gifts you won for me.”
And perhaps it is always meant to be this simple, Susato thinks idly, as she lets herself be pulled forward and gentle lips meet her own in a chaste kiss. Haori’s floral scent envelops her senses, wrapping around her heart like a luring spell. Susato smiles against her lips, bringing her free hand to the other girl’s cheek, cradling her face closer.
“Does this count as our first date, then?” Haori asks eventually when they pull away.
“If it is I definitely need to win you a real giant teddy bear now!” she replies.
“Susato…”
But Susato only grins, leading the both of them back to the shooting range stand.
In the end, this whole outing was kind of a quadruple date. Next time, I want us to be alone though.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao#susahao fic#susahao week 2022#susarei#the great ace attorney#dai gyakuten saiban#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#my fics
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Safety In Her Arms
AO3 Link.
Rating: G
Pairing: Susato Mikotoba/Haori Murasame (Rei Membami in the localisation)
Written for Susahao Week 2022. Day 1: Beginnings/First Meetings
Word count: 1.5k
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
It happens at the first bloom of spring, which Haori would later constantly associate with one Susato Mikotoba.
It is a quiet morning in the library of Yumei University, and Haori is half-asleep while browsing the shelves. She has never been an early riser, but Dr Wilson had a breakthrough and came to the laboratory as soon as the sun rose and by proxy, she was required to be by his side if he ever needs any assistance. And now, she needs to find any information she could get about the echinacea purpurea which can only be found in North America so unfortunately, all the books she could find with more than surface-level descriptions are in English — and despite working alongside Dr Wilson for weeks now, she still struggles to read the language at times. Especially when she is as tired as she is at the moment.
So she must not have noticed that she wandered towards a section of the library that didn’t concern her at all and ended up walking straight into someone else. She yelps as she loses her balance and books fly around her at the impact. She catches a glimpse of cherry blossom pink before she closes her eyes and braces herself for the impact with the floor… except it never comes, because a delicate hand wraps around her wrist and pulls her up in one swift motion.
Haori gasps, eyes flying open and feels her heart stop as she is met with deep and warm brown eyes looking at her in concern.
“I apologise,” a sweet voice reaches her ears. “Are you alright?”
“I…” Haori stares a bit more, taking in the person before her. There stands a girl her age, round face and eager eyes framed by dark ebony hair tied in an intricate hairstyle Hoari has trouble wrapping her head around. She must have been staring for a while because the other girl chuckles nervously before letting go of her wrist.
Haori misses the warmth immediately although she is not sure why. This girl just saved her from a surely bad fall so naturally and gallantly, oh dear.
“Thank you,” she says eventually, taking a few steps back so she can bow properly… and promptly almost trips on the books now scattered on the floor, once again saved by the other girl who is quick on her feet, but not quick enough to prevent the fall altogether. Haori expects pain, but once again, careful and surprisingly strong arms wrap around her, cushioning her fall. She blinks, tilting her head up to realise the still unnamed girl was the one who caught her and is now carrying her in a… in a bridal style. She can feel herself blush.
The girl smiles gently at her, amusement clear in her eyes. “Are you alright? … Once again.”
Haori hides behind her hands. “Oh dear, I am so sorry again—”
“Susato Mikotoba,” the girl introduces herself and interrupts her apology, a blinding smile on her lips. “Do not be sorry, you were the one about to get hurt.”
“And I am bothering you,” Haori laments, voice muffled against her palms.
“Hardly, you are pretty… light, pretty light,” Susato says, cheeks turning a light pink almost matching her kimono.
Haori takes a deep breath. “You… uh, you can put me down now, I swear I will not fall… again.” Then, as soon as her feet touch the ground again, she seems to register the girl’s name. “Wait— Mikotoba? You’re related to Professor Mikotoba?”
Susato nods. “He is my father. Are you one of his students?”
“Oh! Unfortunately no, I am Dr Wilson’s student and assistant but I see him often enough in the laboratory.” Susato smiles at that and Haori finds herself doing it too. “Ah! How rude, I forgot to introduce myself. Haori Murasame.” She finally manages to bow properly, Susato following suit in her own graceful and sweet way.
“It is nice to meet you, then, Haori.”
“Pleasure is mine, Susato” Haori is eager to reply. “Or else I would be covered in bruises right now.”
Susato chuckles, her laugh light and melodic and oh dear, Haori’s heart skips a beat once again. She clears her throat, quickly looking down at the mess of books still surrounding them and manages to see a few law books in there, which seems pretty odd, as women are not allowed to practice law which is, ironically, pretty unfair of a system seeking justice in the country, she thinks.
Before she could question the other girl, Susato bends down and starts sorting the books, gathering them in her arms. Haori is quick to follow her actions and ignores the way her heart flutters when their hands brush over each other every once in a while as they exchange books.
“Susato it is not like you to take so much time—” a new, this time masculine, voice startles the both of them once they finally have their respective pile of books in their arms. Haori takes a step back in surprise but at least she doesn’t fall as she tilts her head to see a boy approaching from behind Susato.
And him, she recognises without any issue, as she has caught a glimpse of him several times around the university, always in his lonesome and yet carrying an aura of grandeur with every step. Kazuma Asogi, the star pupil of Yumei University, the best law student of the faculty and dear protégé of Professor Mikotoba which means—
Oh dear, are they…?
“Ah, Kazuma-sama, I am sorry,” Susato says as she turns around to face him. Nervousness laces her otherwise confident voice. “We, uh, had a little accident.”
“I-it was my fault!” Haori hurries to defend the girl, taking a step forward. “I was not looking where I was going and bumped into Susa— Mikotoba-san and made quite a mess. I a-apologise, Asogi-san.”
Asogi laughs, hands on his hips. “There is no need to apologise, it happens to the best of us.”
“Ah, yes, he often trips on everything because he never looks where he goes,” Susato says to Haori in a fake whisper, obviously loud enough for Asogi to hear. Haori gives a polite smile, unsure if she is allowed to laugh. Ever since she got accepted into this university, she has been very careful as to not upset any important person.
“That is true,” Asogi confirms. “Haori Murasame, is that it?” he asks next, looking at her with expectant eyes.
For some reason, Haori feels the need to hide behind Susato under such a gaze, squirming a little where she stands. “That would be me, y-yes, how…?”
“Professor Mikotoba speaks highly of you! Well, he is not the only Mikotoba who—”
He gets cut off when Susato yelps, thrusting the books into his arms a bit too forcefully and making him stumble a few steps back. “Kazuma-sama, we have lost enough time, we must return to studying lest you fall behind in your schedule.”
He gives her a bemused look before a teasing smile curls his lips. “Well, I was not the one who got distracted…” Asogi says, eyes flicking towards Haori for a quick second. “Well then, I am returning to our table. Do not take too much time, sister dear.”
With that, he swiftly turns around and leaves.
“… Sister?” Haori cannot help but ask although… is that relief in her heart? Knowing Asogi considers Susato a sister and that the two of them are not together. What an odd thought. “But you do not have the same last name?”
Susato chuckles. “We are brother and sister in everything but blood, I suppose, although he usually never refers to me as such in public.” She folds her hands together and bows once again. “It was lovely meeting you, Haori. I must return to help my brother with his studies but I… would very much like to meet again? If you are not too busy, of course.”
“Of course!” Haori agrees instantly. “I usually eat by myself at lunchtime near the lab so…”
“Great! Wait, no, I did not mean great that you are alone I just…” Susato sighs. “I apologise, I meant I will gladly join you,” she corrects, offering a blinding smile.
“I will wait in front of the laboratory then,” Haori says.
Susato nods. “See you later!”
And then the other girl simply waves as she walks away. Haori waves back before remembering that she should hurry as well lest Dr Wilson is displeased with her — the man is quite laid-back, understanding and very friendly, even to his subordinates, but she would rather not take a risk.
And so, Haori steps out of the library with an armful of books and a giddy smile on her lips, a gentle breeze caressing her skin and cherry blossom petals whirling around her on her way. It is the first bloom of spring, and also of a newfound love she could not quite name yet.
-ˋˏ ༻✿༺ ˎˊ-
#susahao#susarei#susahao fic#the great ace attorney#dai gyakuten saiban#dgs spoilers#tgaa spoilers#my fics#susahao week 2022
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i wish i could take part in writing challenges, fan weeks and stuff unfortunately i have a bad case of Very Slow Writing
#whenever i see a month prompt list im like oh fun!!!!! and then i give up after one day#the one time i managed was susahao week 2022 but that is because i was unemployed..... so i had the time i guess ajkdhdj#writing stuff#star.txt
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